Understanding Emotions and Feelings
The average person can only identify three emotions “happy, sad and pissed off” according to American research professor Brene Brown. However, there are a multitude of different feelings that we feel, and these do not always align with what we are able to express within ourselves and to the outside world.
When we are in an anxious state, we can often label all our feelings as anxiety, however, there is often something else that we are feeling alongside this.
Having access to the right words to be able to describe how we feel, and differentiate between feelings, changes how we relate to ourselves and others and helps us to nurture more meaningful connections.
Learning how to label our feelings and emotions with a more nuanced vocabulary can be absolutely transformative.
It enables us to better understand how we think, feel and behave and this gives us the pathway to change.
This is where a tool such as the Feelings Wheel can offer us additional clarity as it gives us a wider vocabulary to understand what is really going on for us.
When we are able to recognise and voice our feelings and emotions more precisely, we can express ourselves more clearly and with confidence, which leads to deeper connections and understanding.
By identifying and labelling our emotions, we can gain mastery over our emotional responses, thereby creating greater resilience and well-being.
Generalising our feelings can lead to emotional blind spots that can hold us back both personally and professionally.
The Feelings Wheel can be used to enhance our relationships, our own self discovery journey and to navigate workplace dynamics.
When we are feeling anxious, it helps to be curious and self aware, and lead from our hearts instead of from a default place of fear and anxiety. This can only be achieved if we feel empowered to truly understand who we are and how we feel.
This exercise can be used for life in general, or for a specific scenario that is troubling you.
Download Your Free Feelings Wheel Workbook by simply filling in the form below: